Carrot Risotto + Green Garlic Sauce is just right for the spring feasts that are about to begin-- Passover is concluding, Easter is this weekend, Earth Day is around the corner, and Mother's Day is soon to follow. Today was our first glorious 70-degree day in Oregon's Willamette Valley, and everything green and growing is excited. Flowers, grasses, early vegetables, and weeds. Did I mention weeds?

Each step toward spring unleashes an undesirable field of weeds. My two hands can't pluck fast enough. Maybe my heart and mind need a little weeding, too, to make space for a goldmine of more desirable growth.

Whether your spring celebrations are about freedom from bondage, the resurrection of a savior, or your motherly origins-- Mother Earth or your earthly mom-- you need a good feast. 24-Karat Carrot Risotto + Green Garlic Sauce is a luxurious and celebratory substitute for scalloped potatoes or kugel worthy of becoming a tradition.

Carrot Risotto + Green Garlic Sauce Kitchen Notes

Sometimes the visual length of a recipe can stop people from making it. Don't let that stop you here. I've just broken the carrot risotto recipe into tiny digestible pieces. I tell you more than you may need to know-- color, scent, and what to look for each step of the way. Skim over these details if you are comfortable, and you'll relish these queues if this is new ground you're digging. This recipe is naturally gluten free, and no one will notice that it is easily made dairy free and vegan.

Happy spring feasting. Happy weeding, be it outside or in.

Other Springtime Feast Recipes to Try:

Blissful Wine-Roasted Artichokes: Get the recipe here.
Modern Pasta Primavera. Get the recipe here.

The 24 Karat Feast: Carrot Risotto + Green Garlic Sauce

Course: Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Season: Evergreen (April - July)

Dietary: Egg-Free, Gluten-Free

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Use this risotto as a special side dish or luxurious main for all your springtime feasts. Either way, it's pure gold!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Carrot Stock

• 12 oz carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 5 cups water
• 2 tsp salt

The Risotto

• 2 Tbsp butter or ghee
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1¼ cups Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• salt and white pepper to taste

To Finish the Dish

• 2 large carrots, diced into small squares
• 1 Tbsp butter

Green Garlic Sauce

• 3 stalks spring garlic, finely minced (see substitutions below)
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 small Meyer or regular lemon juice and zest
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the Green Garlic Sauce

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Make the carrot stock

• Place the roughly chopped carrots in a small saucepan with 5 cups water. Generously salt the water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and cover with a lid. Allow carrots to cook about 15 minutes, until fork tender but not falling apart. Using an immersion blender (stick blender) or traditional blender, blend the carrots into to cooking water until perfectly smooth. Keep warm and set aside.

Make the Risotto

• While the stock is cooking, prep the shallot and garlic. In a large saucepan or saucier over medium heat, combine the butter and olive oil. Add the rice and sauted, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the rice becomes opaque and fragrant. Add the shallot and garlic, stirring frequently, until they become translucent. The rice will continue to toast and become light beige while the shallot and garlic cook. Medium heat and frequent stirring will avoid any of the ingredients from deeply browning or burning at this point.
• Add the dry white wine, stirring vigorously. Once it is nearly absorbed, begin adding one ladleful at a time of the warm carrot broth, stirring very frequently, until it is nearly absorbed, then repeat adding broth and stirring until the rice grains have cooked to al dente-- "to the tooth," meaning the centers still have a little bit of chewiness. If you use all the carrot broth and the rice isn't yet cook through, add water and cook, stirring all the time, until it reached your desired texture. By all means, avoid letting the pot go to overcooked mush.

To Finish

• In a small skillet or sauted pan, gently cook the small-diced carrots in butter until barely becoming tender, about 5 minutes over medium heat. You still want a little crunch to them, and they will add a nice texture contrast to the creamy risotto.
• Place the carrot risotto in a serving bowl. Top with the pretty little carrot squares. Place a generous spoonful of green garlic sauce on top. Set remaining sauce on the table.

Notes

Make it Your Own:

For a completely vegan dish, replace butter with olive oil.

The white wine is optional, but makes a lovely difference if you can use it.

This recipe does not include the traditional Parmesan cheese, but if dairy is not your concern, add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan to the finished risotto, and garnish with more on top if you'd like. If you have dairy-free people at your table, don't add it to the pot-- simply set out a bowl of grated Parmesan for the dairy-eaters to use on their portions. 

The green garlic can be replaced with scallions, or any number of fresh herbs. Mint would be lovely.